It’s that time of year again when we rush from one project to another trying to accomplish the impossible feat of making sure our homes, yards, landscaping, and campers are ready for yet another winter.  It’s easy to overlook the deck, but as home repairs go, deck work can be pricey if left to defend itself against harsh weather, precipitation, animals, and general wear and tear.

Even newer decks need to be cleaned before winter.  No sense in allowing the dirt, grime and algae to sit all winter long, because as the wood expands and contracts, with the varying weather, it pulls those unwanted items into the wood causing more damage to the deck and more frustration to the homeowner.   What if your deck is beautiful with only a few discolored spots, perhaps from Junior’s science project or the ever present U.V. rays?  A little work at the onset will keep from major work later, which allows for a more enjoyable time on the deck.  If your deck and its finish is in good shape, visit your local hardware store and pick up a good quality deck cleaner.  Cleaning your deck is straight forward, follow the directions given on the container.

Sometimes life does get in the way and our decks are a little worse for wear.  Perhaps we waited too many years, so the finish is unsightly.  If it’s just the stain and sealer needs to be striped and redone, while it’s more work than just cleaning, it beats the expense of replacing the deck.  Before you begin the process of cleaning, striping, re-staining, and re-sealing, check your deck for signs of wood rot at the ends of all the deck planks, tops of posts, and between the siding and the deck ledgers.  Builders used to sandwich the siding between the deck ledger and the house rim joist with no air gap, creating the perfect spot for water to sit, thus rotting the deck, siding, and possibly the rim joist.  I’ve had homeowners tell me their decks were fine even after noting the following: the decking edges are soft and ragged, I could push a screw driver through the wood, my finger can easily go through the post, or their family friend fell through the deck.  Hopefully all your deck is structurally sound and only needs a little elbow grease to get it in tip top shape.  Ask at your local hardware stores for their recommendation as to which product to use.   Whichever brand you purchase be sure to use a water repellent finish, this will help you deck stay beautiful for a longer period of time.

If by chance your deck needs more than just cleaning and re-staining, call a professional to inspect the deck.  Small problems resolved at the start, keep green-back the monsters at bay.